Wayne E. Smyth creates elegant, decorative screens that express the qualities inherent in classical Japanese art of the Edo Period. His intent has been to follow the spirit of the Edo master in making beautifully decorative art that begins with a thorough understanding of nature, and then transcends it. The ability to analyze, reconstruct, and improve upon the sublime beauties of nature is characteristic of the Edo period. Along with the arts of bonsai, architecture, ikebana, Kabuki Theater, and the tea ceremony, the painted byobu (or screens) are the essence of the decorative impulse; that is, the desire to remake natural forms that delight the eye and are more beautiful than true. Smyth's meticulous craftsmanship in building the screens and his perceptual insight into natural forms, as well as the subtlety and nuance of the Japanese master painters, enable him today to create works that rival some of the best of the classic byobu. The screens are exquisitely finished with borders of antique Japanese brocades and mouldings of lacquered or handrubbed rare woods. His work is commissioned by top designers and has been featured in Designers West and Architectural Digest.

An enthusiastic naturalist, Smyth's paintings reflect an intimate understanding of the birds and flora the he renders. He has traveled extensively in Europe and the Americas and lived in East Africa for eight years where he worked as a guide and lecturer on photographic safaris. He spent two years on the staff of the Naval Medical School in Bethesda as a medical illustrator and worked for a number of years as an art director/illustrator with an international advertising firm in New York and Rome. Los Angeles is now his home base.

 

3128 Garden Avenue - Los Angeles, CA 90039-2313
Phone (323)662-5091